Snow skiing is a popular sport and pastime that is recognized to be strenuous and exhilarating. Both downhill and cross-country skiing require leg strength, balance, and technique, all of which improve with practice. Unfortunately, many novices take to the slopes and/or the countryside each year only to be disappointed by their lack of immediate success in learning how to ski. Moreover, others never even attempt to learn how to ski because they are intimidated by the prospect, and still others, including the elderly and/or handicapped, may not be allowed an opportunity to learn because skiing is deemed to be too difficult and/or dangerous for them. The present invention makes it easier, safer, and less physically demanding to learn how to snow ski, either downhill or cross-country.
First, as those skilled in the art will recognize, beginning downhill skiers are taught to position their skis in a "snow plow" orientation as they first learn to move down a hill, back and forth across the fall line. The "snow plow" orientation involves positioning the tips of the skis relatively close together and the rear portions of the skis relatively spread apart. In order to "snow plow" with prior art downhill skis, the beginning skier must tilt the skis onto their edges and shift weight between the skis in order to control his or her speed and direction. The required tilting of the skis onto their edges can be quite an obstacle for many beginning downhill skiers. This difficulty is effectively reduced by Applicant's downhill skis, which tend toward a "snow plow" orientation and facilitate directional changes, thus reducing the need for tilting the skis onto their edges.
Second, as those skilled in the art will recognize, basic cross-country skiing techniques include "skating" and "herringbone" maneuvers. In order to perform these techniques with prior art cross-country skis, the cross-country skier must angle the tips of the skis away from one another, forming an angle of approximately 30.degree. therebetween in order to "skate" and an angle of approximately 90.degree. therebetween in order to "herringbone." The required angling of the skis as much as 45.degree. from the direction of travel can be quite an obstacle for many beginning cross-country skiers. This difficulty is reduced by Applicant's cross-country skis, which have a "built-in" angle relative to the direction of travel, thus reducing the need for angling the skis.